Global Startup and Venture Investment News as of January 31, 2026: Major Funding Rounds, Venture Fund Activity, AI Investments, and Key Tech Trends for Investors.
The beginning of 2026 showcases a continuation of the upswing in the global startup and venture capital market. Following a rise in investments last year, venture funds and corporations are once again actively investing in promising companies. Major investors are forming record funds, while technology startups around the world are closing funding rounds worth hundreds of millions of dollars, despite a more selective approach towards projects. Significant capital interest remains concentrated in the fields of artificial intelligence, biotechnology, "green" technologies, and strategic technologies that could shape the future of industries and national security. Below is an overview of key news from the world of startups and venture investments as of January 31, 2026.
Venture Market Riding High After a Successful 2025
The global venture market entered 2026 on an optimistic note. According to industry analysts, the volume of investments in startups significantly increased in 2025 compared to the previous downturn. For instance, startups in North America attracted around $280 billion in venture capital over the year, nearly 46% more than the year prior. The primary driver of this growth was the boom in AI projects—AI startups accounted for a lion’s share of the capital raised. Venture investors worldwide are once again ready to invest in innovative companies, particularly in breakthrough sectors. The first weeks of 2026 confirm this trend: from the start of January, several major deals and the launch of new funds have been announced, signaling the continued positive dynamics in the venture market.
Andreessen Horowitz Raises Record Mega Fund
One of the most notable signals of investor confidence has come from the unprecedented new fund raised by Silicon Valley firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z). The company announced it has attracted over $15 billion for several new venture funds of various focuses—a record amount for a16z itself and one of the largest in the history of the venture market. The funds are allocated among several ventures: approximately $6.75 billion is earmarked for investments at late-stage "growth" levels, about $1.2 billion is directed into the specialized fund American Dynamism (focused on startups in national security and defense), and separate funds of roughly $1.7 billion each for investments in applied technologies and infrastructure projects, along with $700 million for biotech and healthcare, among others. Andreessen Horowitz management emphasizes the strategic focus on technologies that bolster US technological leadership—from artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency to defense, education, and biomedicine. According to industry estimates, the total capital managed by a16z now comprises about 18% of all venture investments made in the US last year. The emergence of this new mega fund during a period when 2025 was the quietest for fundraising since 2017 signifies a return of trust: investors are willing to entrust record amounts to proven players in search of "the next big ideas" among startups.
AI Investment Boom Continues
The artificial intelligence sector remains the chief magnet for venture capital in 2026. Following last year's frenzy, interest in AI startups remains high: even in the first weeks of the new year, major deals are being recorded, even at early stages. For instance, last week, the startup laboratory Humans&, founded by a team of top researchers from Google, OpenAI, Anthropic, and Meta, raised about $480 million in seed funding—an unprecedented amount for such an early stage. Another example is Ricursive Intelligence, an ambitious project in advanced AI, which announced a Series A round of $300 million at a valuation of approximately $4 billion. Projects from well-known entrepreneurs are also attracting attention: the new startup Merge Labs, founded by OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman and developing "brain-computer" interfaces integrated with AI, reportedly secured around $252 million in initial funding. In total, according to Crunchbase, over 40% of all investments in seed and Series A stages in 2026 already come from rounds of $100 million and above—previously a rare occurrence, made possible largely due to the AI race. Venture investors continue to view artificial intelligence as a key growth area and are ready to compete for the most promising teams. Competition for talent and cutting-edge developments in AI remains high, with startups continuing to receive significant checks to scale solutions in generative AI, voice and vision algorithms, business process automation, and other domains.
New Unicorns in Defense and AI Technologies
A series of large deals at the start of the year has added to the ranks of "unicorns"—private companies valued at over $1 billion. Several startups have achieved this status through funding rounds:
- Deepgram (USA, voice AI) – raised $130 million in a Series C round at a valuation of about $1.3 billion, becoming one of the leaders in the AI voice technology segment.
- Harmattan AI (France, AI-based defense systems) – received around $200 million in a Series B round, lifting the Paris-based startup’s valuation to $1.4 billion. Harmattan AI has become a rare "unicorn" in the strategically important sector of defense technologies for Europe.
- Defense Unicorns (USA, secure software for government agencies) – closed a Series B round of $136 million led by Bain Capital, achieving a valuation of over $1 billion. The company has justified its name, entering the unicorn club amidst rapid revenue growth from contracts with the Pentagon.
The emergence of these new, highly valued players reflects the strengthening focus of venture capital on projects related to artificial intelligence and national security. In line with the trend set by funds such as a16z's American Dynamism, investors are actively financing companies engaged in both commercial AI products (e.g., voice assistants for business) and government-significant technologies (defense, cybersecurity). Moreover, the venture race is global: new unicorns are being shaped not only in Silicon Valley, but also in Europe, Asia, and other regions where tech companies with billion-dollar valuations are emerging.
Tech Giants Hunting for AI Startups
Not only venture funds, but also the largest corporations are seeking to strengthen their positions in the field of artificial intelligence. A notable example is Apple, which has made one of its largest deals in recent years by agreeing to acquire the Israeli AI startup Q.ai, specializing in AI-based audio technologies. According to insiders, the acquisition cost around $1.6 billion, making this purchase the second largest in Apple’s history (after the acquisition of Beats). The Q.ai startup develops machine learning systems for whisper speech recognition and audio enhancement in challenging conditions, and its team of approximately 100 specialists will join Apple. This deal underscores the intensifying competition among Big Tech for breakthrough AI developments: companies such as Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Meta are actively acquiring promising projects in order not to fall behind in the AI technology race. For startups and their investors, such exits are a validation of high valuations: major strategic players are willing to pay billions for access to cutting-edge solutions and talent in the AI field.
Multi-Million Funding Rounds in Biotech Signal Revival
The biotechnology sector is also keeping pace: in January, several biotech startups announced significant funding rounds, signaling a renewed interest from investors in healthcare. The most notable deal was a Series F round of $305 million for Parabilis Medicines of Massachusetts (formerly known as FogPharma). The raised capital will allow Parabilis to advance its experimental cancer drug (the peptide zolucatetide) into a crucial phase of clinical trials, as well as expand its peptide cell penetration technologies for the development of new drugs. It is noteworthy that Parabilis has secured venture funding six times, remaining a private company longer than is typical for the industry. Such a sizeable late round from prominent investors (including public market funds) reflects a strong confidence in the prospects of its scientific developments.
Another notable case is California-based startup Soley Therapeutics, which raised around $200 million in a Series C round. The company employs artificial intelligence and computational biology technologies to find new cancer treatment methods and will direct the obtained funds toward progressing two of its candidates to the clinical trial stage. Records are also happening at early stages: a very young biotech company, AirNexis Therapeutics, received $200 million in seed funding (Series A) for developing an innovative treatment for lung diseases. Such a volume of investments at the A stage is rare, signaling a high level of trust in the project’s developments: AirNexis has licensed a promising molecule from the Chinese pharmaceutical company Haisco and plans to bring it to the global market for treating COPD (asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease).
In addition to these mega rounds, there has been a string of more moderate deals: industry observers recorded at least half a dozen biotech startups securing between $50 million and $100 million each throughout January. All of this indicates a new revival in biotech after a challenging period in recent years: venture funds are once again actively financing companies in the pharmaceutical and medical sectors, especially if the startup has breakthrough science or a market-ready product. Major crossover investors (funds that operate in both private and public markets) are returning to biotech, paving the way for a revival in IPOs if conditions allow.
New Specialized Venture Funds Emerging Globally
In addition to financing for startups themselves, capital is actively flowing into the ecosystem through new venture funds, often concentrated on narrow niches or strategic themes. The startup industry is diversifying, as evidenced by the emergence of specialized funds in various regions at the start of 2026. Here are a few noteworthy examples:
- All Aboard Alliance (global) – a coalition of private venture firms (including Bill Gates' Breakthrough Energy Ventures) announced the creation of a $300 million fund to invest in startups related to climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Initial investments are planned for this year, reflecting the growing interest in climate tech.
- 2150 VC (Europe) – the London-Copenhagen venture fund 2150 has closed its second fund of €210 million, bringing its total assets under management to €500 million. Funds will support startups developing sustainable urban technologies (urban climate solutions, green construction, and infrastructure projects).
- VZVC (USA) – a new venture firm founded by former a16z partner Vijay Pande is forming a debut fund of approximately $400 million to invest at the intersection of artificial intelligence and digital health. This example illustrates the trend of experienced investors leaving large funds to focus on rapidly growing niche areas.
- NUS Venture Fund (Asia) – the National University of Singapore has launched a venture fund of $120 million to support its own spin-off startups and university research. This public-private initiative aims to commercialize innovations from academic science and strengthen the local startup ecosystem.
Alongside the aforementioned examples, corporate and regional development funds continue to emerge. Major corporations and governments are increasingly participating in the venture ecosystem, creating funds to support priority sectors—from climate technologies and biomedicine to defense and artificial intelligence. As a result, the venture capital landscape is becoming increasingly diverse: alongside billion-dollar mega funds, compact targeted funds coexist. For startups, this means more opportunities to secure funding around the globe, including in segments that were previously considered exotic for venture capital.
Expectations and Prospects: IPOs and Continued Market Growth
Such an active start to the year fosters cautious optimism among players in the venture market for the forecasts for 2026. On one hand, record funding rounds and the emergence of new funds provide startups access to capital. On the other hand, investors will be scrutinizing the effectiveness of their investments and the development of portfolio companies more closely. A key indicator of sentiment may be the resumption of companies going public. Following the quiet years past, only a few notable tech IPOs occurred in 2025, so in 2026, a queue of unicorns ready to test their luck in the public market is expected, provided market conditions improve.
Venture funds are already preparing potential candidates for IPOs. Rumors are circulating about plans for several major AI and fintech companies from Silicon Valley, as well as certain biotech firms that have managed to attract crossover investors at later stages, to go public. Among the most anticipated in the industry are potential IPOs for giants such as OpenAI, Anthropic, or even the space company SpaceX—such listings have the potential to invigorate the market and attract public attention. The high valuations that startups received in recent rounds imply an expectation for an upcoming exit—either through a sale to a strategic investor or via a public offering of shares.
At the same time, the volume of "dry powder"—that is, uninvested capital in venture funds—remains significant. According to PitchBook, impact investment funds alone currently control over $200 billion in unallocated capital, while the total global venture dry powder is measured in several hundreds of billions of dollars. These reserves of capital can support a high pace of funding for innovations even amid changing economic conditions, creating competition for the best deals.
Of course, certain risks remain: rising interest rates, geopolitical instability, and stock market volatility may temper investors' risk appetite. Nevertheless, at this moment, the startup ecosystem enters the new year with a solid buffer and restrained optimism. Venture investors and company founders are hopeful that 2026 will be a period of further growth—provided that project valuations are reasonable and macroeconomic conditions are favorable.
